The present invention relates to an apparatus for making frozen edible products, typically ice cream products. Ice cream is marketed in a large variety of grades and shapes, such as cones, flat-bottomed troughs, rectangular sandwiches and various cup shapes. Most of the products, in addition to the ice cream proper, also contain various fillings and top decorations.
The products are formed more or less automatically, such as by filling ice cream into containers in the form of cornets, cups or the like, then moving the filled products into a freezing or hardening compartment, and finally picking up the frozen products ready for packing. In the simplest production systems, no particular means are provided to hold the products upright during the freezing process. As a result, the decoration tends to creep downwards and outwards when the products are laying down during the freezing process, leaving a diffuse and less attractive appearance. There are more advanced machines on the market, in which the products are held upright also during the freezing/hardening process. However, until now, all such types of machines have been encumbered with low capacity and/or limited flexibility. The machines are generally built for producing either cone or cup shaped ice cream and rarely both kinds. Machines capable of producing both have a low capacity, from 4000 to 8000 items per hour. Also, such machines are very expensive, and shifting from one product to another takes considerable time and tends to cause running-in problems.
Today there are three main machine varieties available for producing cup or cone shaped ice cream products with the products standing upright. According to one such variety the products are filled by a traditional filling machine such as a so-called "Fornaroli" or "Viking" in four or six rows. After the products have been filled and provided with lids they are lifted up from the machine by means of vacuum or tongues and placed in plastic or steel cages formed with holes to accomodate the products. The filled cages are then moved into a traditional freezing tunnel or cabinet, e.g. of the spiral type. When frozen the products are picked up from the cages and packed. The empty cages then return to the filling machine to be filled with products again.
This prior system has a large capacity but very low flexibility. The diameter of the cage holes must match the associated filling machine equipment, and consequently such a production system is normally not feasible for more than two different products. If more than two variants are required, then a completely new set of cages must be provided and in addition all of the filling machine product dispensers must be replaced. Also, the largest product diameter should not exceed the maximum diameter for which the filling machine is designed. In addition, this system is limited to a certain product taper angle, with a corresponding limitation of possible variants. Therefore, machines of this type very seldom allow for more than two or three different product variants. As a result only the very largest ice cream makers use such equipment, since the investments are high and require continuous production. Furthermore, cleaning of the cages represents a considerable problem and the cages occupy a considerable space when not in use.
A second wellknown type of machine is sold in several variants such as the so-called Straight Line, Glacier, Gram and Cattabriga machines. These mainly consist of a long continuous chain provided with squared steel trays. Holes are formed in the trays to receive the product to be run on the machine. Usually there are up to six products per tray. The capacity of this machine is low and large expenses are required for replacing trays, etc., if high flexibility is to be obtained.
There is also a third machine variant exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,188. This is a 6-row type of machine in which the products are filled and frozen in a traditional manner. After dwelling for about 15 minutes in the freezing tunnel the products are turned upside-down and emerge depending with their tops down. This prior machine requires a very long freezing tunnel in order to ensure sufficient hardening of the products before upsetting them. The machine construction is useful for conical products only.
Swedish Patent No. 127 370 describes an endless conveyor machine specifically designed for producing ice lollies. Trays carried by the conveyor are lifted and rotated horizontally a quarter turn by cylinder means below the conveyor upper run to permit insertion of sticks into the ice bodies formed on the trays.